Category: SPECIAL

New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) Finance ministers and central bankers from the 191 member countries will attend the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank’s spring meetings, to be held from April 13-18 in Washington, DC, to take stock of the global economic uncertainties amid the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran and continuing uncertainties over the outcome of the peace talks.

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva has warned that the new economic forecasts, to be published on Tuesday, along with a report on global financial stability, are likely to be downgraded amid the economic shocks of the Middle East conflict.

In January, world output was seen rising 3.3 per cent this year, with expansions of 2.1 per cent in the US, 1.4 per cent in the euro zone and 5.4 per cent across emerging Asia. These are likely to be scaled down when the new estimates are announced.

Georgieva has pointed out that the resilient world economy is being tested again by the war in the Middle East. The conflict has caused considerable hardship around the globe.

“When we welcome ministers and central bank governors to our Spring Meetings next week, our focus will be on how best to weather this latest shock and ease the pain on economies and people. This requires understanding the nature of the shock, the channels through which it affects the economy, the size of the impact, and the policies that can mitigate it,” she said,

The world’s daily oil flow has been cut by some 13 per cent, and its LNG flow by some 20 per cent, resulting in prices shooting up and disruption in supply chains across the world.

The annual and spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group each year bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, civil society representatives, and academics to discuss the state of the global economy and issues of international concern, such as the growth outlook, financial stability, and poverty reduction.

The Board of Governors consists of a high-level representative from each of the 191 member countries, typically the finance minister, central bank governor, or minister of development. During the Meetings, the Governors participate in a plenary session and discuss the challenges for the global economy. They also decide on major policy issues related to the future work of the two organisations, which are subsequently implemented by their respective Executive Boards.

In addition, the IMF’s International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) and the joint IMF-World Bank Development Committee (DC) meet to discuss progress on the work of the two organizations.

–IANS

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Islamabad, March 28 (IANS) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the continued shrinking of civic space and restrictions on rights-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across Punjab province, describing it as a symptom of the democratic backsliding that the country is currently experiencing.

In its report titled ‘Regulation or Restriction?’, the HRCP documented that civil society organisations — particularly NGOs, which constitute a vital component of Pakistan’s civic landscape — are usually seen as “entities that can pose a challenge to the state and keep checks on such authoritarian drift”.

It added that instead of enabling their role, Pakistani authorities have introduced “restrictive laws and policies that have undermined NGOs’ legitimacy and significantly curtailed their ability to operate, thereby weakening an important safeguard against democratic erosion.”

The rights body highlighted that the NGOs have been subjected to multilayered approval processes, including mandatory MOUs with Pakistan’s Economic Affairs Division (EAD), district-level no-objection certificates and security clearance prior to registration.

“These requirements have been compounded by compulsory reregistration under provincial charity commissions. This has not only interfered with the scale and scope of NGO operations but even led to the suspension or closure of critical programmes on human rights and democracy. While courts have provided intermittent relief, most notably by striking down the 2022 EAD policy, the absence of a coherent, rights-compliant legislative framework has continued to enable administrative overreach,” it added.

Speaking at a seminar held to discuss the report’s findings on Friday, the HRCP member Zeeshan Noel said that Pakistan was witnessing a “gradual form of democratic backsliding with the incremental shrinking of civic space through legal and policy instruments.”

During its meetings held in Lahore and Multan cities, the HRCP noted that women-led organisations and minority groups in Punjab were among the most adversely affected by shrinking civic spaces.

According to the participants, in addition to facing the challenges of reduced institutional and financial support for grassroots work, these groups are increasingly vulnerable to harassment and intimidation. Many described working in a “constant state of uncertainty” — feeling “on the brink” and insecure about their safety, legitimacy, and ability to continue their activities.

“Their challenges were particularly complex because of the pressures they faced from multiple directions. Not only were they subjected to surveillance and administrative hurdles by state institutions, but they were also exposed to threats from nonstate actors, including extremist groups, local power brokers, and conservative community elements,” the HRCP added.

The HRCP called on Pakistani authorities to guarantee rapid and accessible legal remedies for NGOs facing harassment, deregistration, or threats — whether from state or nonstate actors — while strengthening judicial oversight, ensuring interim relief against arbitrary administrative actions, and safeguarding human rights defenders at risk.

–IANS

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Washington, March 19 (IANS) A US congressional hearing on special operations forces offered a glimpse into the future of warfare — one driven by artificial intelligence, cyber operations, and autonomous systems — highlighting lessons closely watched in India as it reshapes its military to address emerging threats.

Lawmakers and military leaders stated that the battlefield is rapidly evolving, with technology lowering the barrier for both state and non-state actors to deploy advanced capabilities such as drones, cyber tools, and AI-driven systems.

“The bar to access advanced technology like AI, drones, and complex cyber tools has never been lower,” Congressman Jason Crow said, warning that such tools now allow smaller groups to “punch above their weight”.

Assistant Secretary of Defence Derrick Anderson said the current security environment is marked by “simultaneity convergence and speed”, with adversaries increasingly aligned and “technologically enabled”.

He described US Special Operations Forces (SOF) as uniquely positioned for this shift, providing “scalable, tailorable and asymmetric options across the full spectrum of competition and conflict”.

Admiral Frank Bradley, commander of US Special Operations Command, said the military must adapt quickly to remain effective in this environment. “We must adapt faster than our adversaries,” he said, underlining the need to “accelerate capability development” and integrate emerging technologies.

Bradley identified cyber and the digital domain as central to future conflict. “The cyber and the virtual domain are critical manoeuvre spaces that we must take advantage of,” he said, adding that the growing “ubiquitous information environment” presents both risks and opportunities.

He also pointed to the rise of autonomous systems, describing “the emergence of abundant lethal autonomy” as a defining feature of modern warfare. However, he stressed that human control remains central, saying the law of war requires “a human that’s making that decision” on the use of lethal force.

Despite this technological push, both lawmakers and military leaders warned that resources have not kept pace with demand. Chairman Ronny Jackson said Socom’s “purchasing power has been reduced by 14 per cent since 2019, despite increasing demand for support worldwide”.

Bradley added that growing operational demands have forced the command to divert funds from future capabilities. “That pace of — of growing usage but diminishing resources was causing us to have to eat into our modernisation budget,” he said.

Lawmakers said this shift requires rethinking how forces are structured and equipped, including greater emphasis on cyber capabilities, information warfare, and partnerships with allies.

For India, the hearing underscores a broader shift in how major powers are preparing for future conflicts — moving away from large-scale troop deployments towards technology-driven, agile and specialised forces capable of operating across multiple domains.

US special operations forces have been central to American military campaigns since the early 2000s, particularly in counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now their role has expanded to include competition with China and Russia, cyber-enabled operations, and support for partner nations.

The discussion in Washington reflects a growing consensus that future conflicts will be shaped less by conventional force size and more by speed, technology, and information dominance — an evolution that is increasingly influencing defence planning across the world, including in India.

–IANS

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